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Worldnews

Promises Made In Paris Olympics Run-up Broken, Say Undocumented Workers

Having helped to build a flagship arena, foreign construction workers were promised their papers. More than a year later, they remain undocumented. Names marked with an asterisk have been changed to protect identities. Paris, France – When Moussa*, an undocumented construction worker, joined a wildcat strike at the building site of Paris’s Adidas Arena in the early hours of October 17, 2023, he was hoping the protest might lead to him getting the papers he needed to travel home to Mali. Since arriving in France in 2019, having first boarded a boat from Algeria to Spain, Moussa, 25, has not taken a single vacation. After his grandparents died during his time away, he felt an urge to return and mourn with his family. For eight months, he worked at the arena, which has 8,000 seats and was being prepared for the 2024 Summer Olympics. More than 400 construction workers operated at the site. He was compensated with normal pay slips by using someone else’s papers – a common strategy among undocumented workers. He was paid about 75 euros ($85) a day for gruelling 10-hour shifts at the arena – a rate, he said, that did not include transport expenses, masks or other protective gear. Moussa’s bid paid off. The workers occupied the site before dawn, blocked it off, and then negotiated all day. By the evening, they had a deal. After intense discussions between Moussa’s employer, the city of Paris, the workers and their union, a list of 14 undocumented individuals who worked at the site was handed over to the French police prefecture, which deals with visa requests, in order for their paperwork to be processed. They signed a framework agreement that would lead to a residency permit and health insurance. It was signed by the city of Paris, the construction company Bouygues, and several subcontractors. But 18 months later, the dossiers have still not been approved. Only one of the 14 has been given an appointment at the Paris prefecture. A number of the undocumented workers are beginning to wonder whether the delays are by design. “We didn’t ask for much, just a residency permit and health insurance card. It’s our right. To this day we don’t have the right to work in this country,” Moussa said. Three of the 14 workers and Rafika Rahmani, a lawyer for the CNT-SO union who focuses on the rights of expatriates, told Al Jazeera that they submitted all the information requested of them more than a year ago. “We have payslips, we have everything. We’re playing by the rules. But so far, we haven’t had even a single summons,” said Adama*, one of the builders. “We have no idea why the files are taking so long. We’ve resubmitted them twice. “It’s like being in prison in France,” added Adama, who has also struggled to find comfortable housing. He sleeps in a room with 11 other people in the eastern suburb of Montreuil. “It’s like if you don’t have papers in this county, you don’t have any value.” Despite these challenges and his long shifts in construction work, Adama takes evening classes to learn French. In January 2025, CNT-SO, which represents construction and cleaning workers, collectively resubmitted 13 dossiers to the Paris prefecture. “The files are still blocked, despite the fact that I’ve re-applied for these 13 people,” Rahmani told Al Jazeera. She suspects that the lack of response is a form of backlash, as the strikes unveiled poor working conditions in France in the lead-up to the Olympics. “It’s revenge,” Rahmani said. “For them, the [striking workers] gave [France] a bad image, even if it’s the reality.” The project developer and two subcontracting companies – which have not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment – have allegedly prevented some workers from returning to construction sites, meaning they have lost jobs and housing. According to Adama, at least three colleagues have not worked since October 2023, and rely on charities to subsidise their food and housing. “We have information that the company employing them did not reinstate them. It was a disciplinary measure against the strike in which they had participated,” Jean-Francois Coulomme, a representative of left-wing La France Insoumise party, told Al Jazeera. “It’s a strategy of ostracising these employees in particular.” In February, Coulomme wrote to France’s interior minister via a government accountability mechanism on the “fate of the files submitted to the Paris Prefecture”, demanding “the legitimate regularisation of these workers”. The letter remains unanswered. “The arena workers’ case is representative of a systemic problem. It’s a good illustration of the fact that these workers are silenced due to the [precariousness] of their administrative situation,” Colomme said. The CNT-SO union and so-called Gilets Noirs, or Black Vests – a collective of mostly undocumented migrants working to get administrative regularisation and housing rights for migrants in France – tried expediting the process through the city of Paris, as the city was one of the negotiating parties. “We’ve plugged a few more holes by going through the mayor of Paris, because they’re the intermediary between our contacts and the Paris prefecture. We want to know what the situation is,” Doums, a spokesperson for the Gilets Noirs, told Al Jazeera. “Today, the situation is still, let’s not say totally blocked, but a bit blocked at the level of the prefecture.” Colomme suggested the Ministry of the Interior is preventing the dossiers from being approved. “The prefectures take their orders from the ministry. So as far as we’re concerned, the prefects simply apply the directives of the minister in charge,” Coulomme said. Al Jazeera contacted the minister of the interior and Paris prefecture, but did not receive a comment by the time of publication. The initially swift response and negotiations are a typical reaction when a city is scrutinised before major international events, but often there is no follow-through when the hype dies down. “The state of exception that the Olympics bring can be really important for leveraging gains for workers,” Jules Boykoff, researcher and author of the book Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics, told Al Jazeera. “The key is to lock in those gains while the hot glare of the Olympic spotlight still shines in your city. After that, it becomes much more difficult to take advantage of that Olympic moment to make promises to these workers.” This can be an opportune time for people to push for rights, but the Olympics and other major sporting events also open the door for exploitation, especially for people in precarious situations like undocumented workers. “This is just one more egregious example of taking advantage of people to create a sporting event that claims to benefit the many but actually just benefits the few,” Boykoff said. “The Olympics tend to spotlight what we might call surplus populations – whether we’re talking about expendable athletes or expendable workers who make the Olympic spectacle possible.” Rahmani said, “During the strike, all these people came and made big promises … These deputies and senators come to a demonstration or strike and make a commitment to regularise these workers, but in the end, there’s no follow-up, and they tell you that they have no power.” For years, France’s government has hardened its stance against immigration. In December 2023, the French Parliament passed a controversial immigration law that differentiates between foreigners “in a situation of employment” and those who are not. The measure made it more difficult to receive social benefits for out-of-work expatriates. The new regulations have played out in workplaces. Between 2023 and 2024, according to official figures, the number of undocumented workers who were regularised dipped by 10 percent. Deportations, on the other hand, rose by more than a quarter. “This ideology is currently affecting our country as a whole, with an instrumentalisation of the migration issue, which means we’re taking a totally utilitarian approach,” Coulomme said. On the ground, Doums said the Gilets Noirs have observed the same phenomenon. “The political situation in this country concerning immigrants and foreigners is becoming increasingly complicated,” Doums stated. Still, he insisted the collective would keep pushing for their rights. “We’re not going to stop there. Even after regularising the 14 people, we’re not going to stop.” Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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News_Naija

Itauma: Nigerian-blooded Heavyweight Phenom Poised To Inherit Tysons Throne

On the ever-evolving stage of heavyweight boxing, where legends are born and reputations built on brute force and audacity, a young titan of Nigerian descent is beginning to cast an intimidating shadow. Moses Itauma has not merely stepped into the professional arena—he’s stormed it with the ferocity of a man on a mission. With an unblemished 11-0 record and nine crushing knockouts, the 20-year-old British-born fighter is already drawing awed whispers of comparison to the most feared heavyweight in history—Mike Tyson. “I’m a modern-day gladiator,” Itauma proclaims. “I just get into the arena and have to fight.” It’s not just bravado. His devastating blend of speed, power, and razor-sharp ring IQ is quickly making believers out of boxing purists and power-punch enthusiasts alike. What’s more, his eyes are firmly set on a historic milestone: dethroning Tyson’s 38-year record as the youngest heavyweight world champion in history. The deadline? May 19, 2025. Rooted in Nigeria, forged by struggle Born on December 28, 2004, in the Slovakian town of Kežmarok to a Nigerian father and Slovakian mother, Itauma’s early years were shaped by more than the bitter cold. Racial discrimination plagued his childhood, prompting his family to relocate to Chatham, Kent, in search of opportunity and safety. “It’s part of my identity,” Itauma says of his identity.  “It’s not something I would change, but we weren’t treated the same way as everyone else. “We would stand out because we were the only African Slovak people, but I am proud of my heritage.” Yet, amid that adversity, Itauma discovered a unique resilience—one he credits to both sides of his heritage. “I think I got the best of both worlds, that Slovak toughness, mentality, and I’m strong physically from my Nigerian side,” he says, echoing the sentiments of another British-Nigerian heavyweight sensation, Anthony Joshua. Though named Enriko at birth, he now fights under his middle name Moses—an imposing moniker suggested by his promoter to strike fear and command attention. Command it he does, every time he steps through the ropes. From hesitant newcomer to relentless knockout artist Itauma first laced up a pair of gloves at age nine, thanks to encouragement from his older brother, Karol. Yet, his initial foray into boxing was far from love at first punch. “I didn’t enjoy it at first,” he admits. “It was hard. I stopped and tried football for a bit, but it was boring.” When he returned to boxing at St Mary’s ABC in Chatham, something clicked. Inspired by the flamboyant brilliance of Prince Naseem Hamed, Itauma began forging a style of his own—power-packed but unexpectedly nimble. “I must’ve watched the same highlight reel of Naseem dancing and knocking people out 50 times,” he recalls. “My style’s different, but I try to bring that energy into my fights.” He went undefeated through 24 amateur fights, racking up gold at every level—from school championships to the Youth World Championships. But it was in the pro ranks that Itauma began to unleash his full, terrifying potential. His debut against Germany’s Marcel Bode in January 2023 at Wembley Arena lasted just 23 seconds—an explosive arrival. His second bout? A 35-second demolition of Ramon Ibarra. Even when fights went the distance, such as his 2023 clash with Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko, Itauma’s dominance was never in doubt. But it was in December 2024 that he made his boldest statement yet—blowing away world-rated contender Demsey McKean in under two minutes on the undercard of the Usyk-Fury rematch in Saudi Arabia. McKean, who had previously gone 12 rounds with the rugged Filip Hrgovic, was rendered helpless by Itauma’s furious assault. Praise from champions and mentors “Moses has the tools to become one of the greatest heavyweights of all time—if he stays focused,” says Ben Davison, the renowned trainer who guided Tyson Fury and currently works with Anthony Joshua. Davison, who has coached some of the sport’s most iconic modern names, speaks with conviction about the young heavyweight’s exceptional ceiling. Tyson Fury himself offered an endorsement that spoke volumes—by choosing to avoid him. After sparring with Itauma in July 2024, Fury dubbed him “the future of the heavyweight division” and dismissed the idea of ever facing him as “a stupid fight.” For a man who’s shared the ring with virtually every top heavyweight of his generation, such hesitation says more than words ever could. A Nigerian legacy reimagined For fans in Nigeria, Itauma represents the next proud chapter in a growing legacy of heavyweight excellence. Like Anthony Joshua, whose roots trace back to Sagamu in Ogun State, Itauma carries the flag of Nigerian toughness into the global boxing arena. But where Joshua often boxed with poise and patience, Itauma brings a fury that harks back to Tyson in his prime—a violent urgency that seems destined for greatness. Should Itauma fulfil his promise, he may not only join Joshua in heavyweight royalty but surpass him, heralding a new era for Nigerian boxing dominance. Big praise, bigger potential In February 2025, none other than Oleksandr Usyk—the undisputed heavyweight kingpin—offered his take on the sport’s next big thing. “Moses Itauma is a great fighter. He’s young. He’s got a big future,” Usyk told talkSPORT, adding another elite voice to the growing chorus of praise. Already the holder of the WBO Intercontinental heavyweight belt—earned with a second-round TKO over Germany’s Ilja Mezencev—Itauma is on the brink of title contention. He has successfully defended the strap twice and remains eager for greater glory. “I wanted to break Tyson’s record,” he says. “I’ve done everything on my end. If it doesn’t happen, it won’t be for lack of trying.” His willingness to face IBF champion Daniel Dubois is already public: “If the fight is offered, I’ll take it. 100 per cent.” But Itauma also acknowledges the politics of the sport. “I thought if you’re good enough, you’ll become champion. But it doesn’t work that way. Some fighters just don’t want to risk it.” The inevitable rise As Moses Itauma continues his rise through boxing’s most prestigious division, the question is no longer if he will become champion—but when. In a sport desperate for fresh blood and dominant figures, he emerges not only as a contender but as a potential heir to the heavyweight throne. His blend of youth, skill, heritage, and sheer destruction makes him a fearsome proposition for any opponent—and a beacon of pride for Nigerian sports fans. “My job is to fight whoever they put in front of me,” Itauma said after a rare decision win in 2023. “Even if they say tomorrow, you’re fighting King Kong.” With that kind of fearless drive and a knockout reel growing by the day, Moses Itauma is not just Britain’s next big thing. He might just be the world’s. The throne awaits—and he’s coming for it with thunder in his fists.

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Worldnews

The Russian Military Is Not This Unstoppable Machine: Historian

Europe has the industrial and financial might to help Ukraine without the US, says distinguished historian, Phillips O’Brien. Ukraine is at the most difficult point in its existential war since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February, 2022. The United States has backed out of the alliance supporting Kyiv, reneging on a multiyear strategic agreement it signed with Ukraine last year. Ukraine has been in a defensive posture for a year, and Russian attacks on Ukrainian soil are increasing. Now, the US is forcing Ukraine to negotiate for peace from a position of weakness, while demanding payback for $135.7bn in military and financial aid. Worse could yet come, warns Phillips O’Brien, head of the School of International Relations at St Andrews University and a leading analyst and commentator on Ukraine. The US could drop its sanctions against Russia and back out of NATO. Al Jazeera spoke with him about why, despite these gloomy prospects, he believes Europe still has the capacity to keep Ukraine fighting, and could ultimately do much more to determine the outcome of this war – for the sake of its own security. Al Jazeera: Can Europe, plus a few other nations like Japan and Australia, save Ukraine from a bad deal with US President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin? Phillips O’Brien: They can certainly keep Ukraine in the fight. A lot of it depends on what the US does. We have to be careful about that. If the US actually moves to fully backing Russia and provides Russia with a significant amount of intelligence and support, that will be really a problem for Ukraine and Europe. But assuming, say, the US just pulls out and washes its hands of it, Europe has the resources to keep Ukraine going. It would require mobilisation, effort, a significant amount of commitment on Europe’s part. So far, they’ve not, I think, shown the united will to do that, but they certainly could do it if they wanted to. They have the money. They have the technological know-how. They even have the military equipment to make a significant difference. Al Jazeera: So you believe that – intelligence aside – Europe and Ukraine can quite quickly develop the defence industrial base needed? O’Brien: Ukraine’s already developing a lot of it, so what [Europeans] could do is help supercharge what the Ukrainians are doing in, say, UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] production. The Russian military is not this unstoppable machine. I think we have to realise it is still a deeply flawed institution. It’s been protected by the US in many ways throughout this war in the way that the US has aided Ukraine not to attack the Russian military machine in Russia, and that’s been a conscious choice of the US. Europe could actually change, if it wanted to, the way it helped Ukraine to free up Ukraine, to provide it more aid to attack Russian production or Russian military facilities in Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he aims to make 30,000 long-range drones this year and 3,000 cruise missiles. That would be very impressive if they could get that money up and running, and that would, I think, put Russian logistics and military production under significant pressure. Al Jazeera: What would be the potential consequences of crossing the United States and Russia if Ukraine and Europe really banded together and did all these things, given what you said before about the US not necessarily remaining a neutral party?  O’Brien: If these tariffs [Trump announced on April 2] come into effect, it’s already going to be an economic war with Europe. One of the things it could fully do – I think in many ways it’s already done it de facto – is to say, ‘The US will have no role defending Europe under NATO Article 5’. They could basically cut Europe off of the transatlantic alliance. I think the most dangerous thing for Europe in the immediate term is to end the nuclear guarantees, basically saying to Russia, ‘We’re not protecting Europe,’ which means Europe’s nuclear guarantee goes completely down to a very small number of French and British submarines. Al Jazeera: But Putin has already made nuclear threats. He did it when he dropped the Oreshnik ballistic missile on Dnipro last November … O’Brien: I don’t think anyone in Europe took [previous threats] seriously as a threat against Europe because of the US nuclear shield. Al Jazeera: Is there a European deficit in intelligence capabilities? O’Brien: Basically, much of European intelligence has been integrated with the US, and they had been provided a lot of information from the US, and the US has technological capabilities that they don’t have. So right away, you’d have to rely on less good, less developed systems. [Starlink] is just part of it. [There’s] US eyes in the sky, US listening, US intelligence sharing – they do have the kind of surveillance that Europe does not have at this point. It will leave you far worse off immediately, and Europe will have to build up a new system in its place. Al Jazeera: Would you, in this scenario of confrontation, expect pushback from within the United States or US forces in Europe? O’Brien: Congress could try and force back at any time. The issue is the president’s commander-in-chief, and right now, the Republicans have no desire to stand up to him. Al Jazeera: Why is it important for Europe to make that stand? O’Brien: Because with the US out of the game, Ukraine becomes incredibly important to the future of European security. If you take the US out, the state of Ukraine is absolutely, without a doubt, central to European security, because Ukraine is the difference, as Putin understands, between Russia being a threat to the continent or not. If they can take Ukraine and rebuild in possession of Ukraine’s resources, one assumes subsuming Belarus as well, then they’re in a much better position. Who knows what happens with the populists in France or with the populists in other European countries. It’s a very, very dangerous situation. Europe is torn between those that want action and those who still can’t believe what they’re looking at. It’s deeply frustrating because you [could see] a year ago that [a Trump presidency] was coming down the pike. There was a significant chance Europe had to plan on the US going home, the US walking back from NATO, and they just didn’t want to do it. There was a wilful inability to plan for a likely event, and that is a failure of leadership of historic proportions. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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News_Naija

Kano APC Welcomes Kwankwasos Speculated Return, Demands Apology For Past Remarks

The All Progressives Congress in Kano State says the speculated impending defection of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to the party is a welcome development. The Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, stated this while addressing a press briefing in Kano on Friday. “APC as a political institution in its Renewed Hope Agenda has embarked on the project of receiving decampees from all political parties. “Of recent, the attention of the party has been drawn to speculations of the impending decamping of the leader of the expelled faction of the NNPP, Senator Kwankwaso, into the party. “This is a welcome development, especially given the fact that the APC remains his last political refuge as he has successfully destroyed his relations with all other political groupings in the country. “Without prejudice to our desire as a party to welcome new entrants and in respect of the constitutional rights of citizens to belong to political parties of their choice. “We wish to state our position as a state chapter of our great party in Kano state,” Abbas said. He said the party had already directed its ward chapters to open registers for new defectors irrespective of their political and social statures is in line with the party’s constitution. “We advise all those desirous of joining our esteemed party to go to their respective wards and register. “Also, we want to assure our elected party officials from the ward, local government, senatorial and state levels that they will continue to function as provided by the tenure of their office in the party constitution. “For the purpose of seeking any future party or elective position, any old or new entrants, shall be free to exercise his/her constitutional rights of voting or being voted for without any special preference,” the chairman said. He, however, said that the party was fully aware that some people were desperate to join the APC. Abbas said, “This is because they have scuttled their political goodwill and have become political lepers in the national scheme of things and are looking to the APC for political relevance.” “For the avoidance of doubt, let me emphasise that the APC as a political party does not and will not encourage or promote the existence of cult-like associations in the name of political activities or groupings. “We unequivocally call on all those prospective decampees who have earlier made derogatory statements against our leaders, President Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Sen. Kashim Shettima to offer a public apology.” “This should be done as a sign of remorse, and respect for future relationships,” he added. (NAN)